The Strongest in the Universe
by MidnightMarchioness
Summary: Gohan always wanted more than to be the unsung hero like his father, so when he once again dons the cape of Saiyaman he doesn't expect much to change. However, when a chance meeting gave him a new outlook on life will he be content with remaining in the shadows or does destiny have different plans for the Saiyan warrior? Slight VidelxGohan.
1. Chapter 1 Saiyamans Big Debut

The Strongest in the Universe

Chapter 1 Saiyaman's Big Return

Gohan pushed his way through the mob of students swarming the hallway and hummed a popular song he had heard from the radio. Opening a locker he retrieved his books and carefully placed them inside his bag before clasping it shut. After a long and tiring day of school he was looking forward to his extracurricular activities. You see, while most students joined an after school club or headed home to their families, he was assuming the role as the hero of justice Saiyaman, punching bad guys and fighting crime with style. There was nothing he loved more than saving lives and putting criminals in their place, all the while posing stylishly for his fans. He supposed he should feel guilty for enjoying it so much, but no one said you can't have fun and help others in the process.

Besides, he always felt a rush of excitement whenever he thought about having a secret identity like one of his childhood heroes. Always on the verge of discovery, they managed to evade the cops and mobbing fans to keep their secret intact and live on to fight villains another day. It was exciting to wonder that at any moment his true identity could be found out and his entire life changed in the blink of an eye. Not that his normal self was some sort of playboy billionaire or anything, but he loved that it added some uncertainty to his everyday life that he had been missing over the last seven years.

Secretly, however, he relished the attention. Over the years he and his father had fought off countless aliens who sought to either rule or destroy the earth, but the only one who ever got any credit was Hercule. Maybe his father didn't mind being the unsung hero but he craved the acknowledgment of his actions. He was the one who had defeated Cell and saved the earth seven years ago… but no one would ever believe him.

He sighed and shook his head. This definitely wasn't the way to reignite his career with a bang. What he really needed was a flight over the city to clear his head and sort out his thoughts. But of course things can never go as planned.

"Hey Gohan!" He couldn't help but flinch as a voice yelled over the chatter of students and drew every eye in the room towards him. Peeking his head around the locker door, he paled when he saw Videl heading straight towards his position. Whispers began to take over the narrow hallway and in a panic he hid his face behind the locker door even though his hair stuck out over the top.

Stopping next to him Videl leaned on the next locker and flicked some stray bangs out of her face. She was the last person he wanted to talk to right now. Not that she had offended him or anything, but the fact that she knew that he was Saiyaman made him easy blackmail material. Equally frustrating was the fact that she was Mr. Satan's daughter and her presence was definitely _not_ helping him get over the thoughts he was trying to suppress from earlier.

Checking the contents of his locker his frantic mind tried to come up with a plan to get away without making it look to obvious. Nothing was coming to him and Videl finally lost patience and coughed loudly. He tensed and closed the metal door.

"Uh oh hey V-Videl. I-I didn't see you there. Wh-what do you want?" His voice cracked no less than three times and Videl rolled her eyes. She would ignore his blatant attempt to dodge her… for now.

"So are you planning on getting back to kicking some criminals around?" She gave him a thumb's up and winked.

"Hey shush, I thought you were going to keep my secret." Horrified at the thought that somebody had heard he frantically looked around to see if anyone was close enough to overhear.

"Oh lighten up, my friends already know your secret and nobody's stupid enough to listen in on us unless they want to get pummeled into the ground." She punched her fist into her other hand to prove her point. The whispers suddenly died and students began to disperse around them.

"See what'd I tell ya." She gestured to the now almost empty hallway.

He shook his head in frustration. "Still could we not talk about it at school?"

She rolled her eyes and punched him lightly in the shoulder. Leading them down the hallway she waved to her friends as they headed out the front door.

"Happy?" She asked when they were finally outside.

"Yes actually." They came to a stop on the sidewalk in front of the school steps. The late afternoon sun was beginning to start its descent towards the horizon.

"You want some backup on patrol today; I mean I know you can handle yourself I just think it would be more efficient if we did it together." She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and if he didn't know better he would have thought she was nervous.

"While I appreciate the offer Videl, I don't think you would be much help." She glared at him and he immediately backtracked.

"Uh, that came out wrong. What I meant to say was that it would be kind of weird if you and Saiyaman just suddenly started working together ya know. I mean people might start to talk and I just don't want either of us to have to deal with that, ha ha ha." laughing nervously he rubbed the back of his neck. When she remained silent, he nervously shifted from one foot to the other hoping that she would accept his answer.

"Alright, just be careful okay. If you get hurt while I'm not there I'll never let you live it down." He released a shaky breath and nodded.

"Well anyway, see ya tomorrow." He backed away a few steps and waved.

"Y-Yeah." She rubbed her arm with her gloved hand and looked down at the sidewalk. Gohan failed to catch the blush that lighted her cheeks.

"Well bye." He turned and ran around the corner before pressing the red button on his watch. Transformation complete, he powered up and flew off into the sky. He sighed in relief when he could no longer see her silhouette. That had gone better than he had expected. Setting a course for downtown he scanned the streets below.

"Now if I were trouble where would I be?"

* * *

"Absolutely not!" The old bots voice reverberated across the silo.

"Please Ratchet, I promise I'll keep it short." Miko was giving the medic the biggest puppy dog face she could muster. The bot pinched his nose and sighed. He could tell she wasn't going to budge until she got her way but he was too stubborn to give in that easily.

"Miko please, the groundbridge is for emergency purposes only and we are low enough on energon as it is." The Japanese girl crossed her arms and huffed.

"I already promised I'd be good." She pouted.

"That's not the point!" He roughly shook his head. If sentient robots could get headaches he certainly would have had one by this point. For the past half hour she had been attempting to convince him to open the groundbridge for what she had called 'sightseeing'. How he wished with all his spark that Optimus had been here to give her an explanation and light scolding, but the prime was currently predisposed.

"C'mon Ratch I just want to show bulkhead my hometown." She clutched onto his leg and looked up into his optics teary eyed. Neither broke eye contact for a full minute until Ratchet sighed.

"Fine." He placed a hand over his optics in frustration. At the same time he had a flash of inspiration and if he hadn't been known for being the old cranky doctor he would have smirked.

"But you have to take Jack and Raf with you."

"Deal!" She ran off to tell the others singing a heavy metal song and strumming an air guitar.

"At least I can get some peace and quiet around here for a while." He turned back to the console where he spent most of his time and tried to remember where he had left off.

* * *

"Bulkhead I got Ratch to let us all visit my hometown!" She was practically bouncing up and down as she came running into the room.

"Whoa really?" Raf looked up from his laptop in surprise and adjusted his glasses.

"Yeah how did you manage that? Ratchet's more stubborn than my mom." Jack commented. Smirking proudly, Miko put her hands on her hips and told them about how she had bugged the old doctor for nearly an hour. Jack and Raf couldn't help but burst out laughing as she told them.

"Yeah that's Miko for you." Jack remarked while wiping a tear out of his eye.

"No kidding." Raf added.

"Well are we gonna just stand around all day or do you want to see where I grew up!"

"Grew up where now?" Arcee walked into the energon storage room just in time to catch the tail end of the conversation.

"Miko convinced Ratchet to let us go see her home in Japan." Raf informed her. Arcee quirked an eyebrow and was about ready to ask something until Miko interrupted her.

"Last one to the groundbridge is a frozen scraplet!" Impatient as always she ran off towards the main hanger. Jack and Raf looked to each other and shrugged before they raced after her, leaving Bulkhead and Arcee alone among the energon cubes.

"Mind if I come." Bulkhead looked at Arcee in confused surprise.

"What? It beats patrolling around Jasper."

"Uh, okaaaay." He decided that he probably shouldn't ask and they followed after the children.

"Okay Ratch do the thing." Miko pointed both fingers at Ratchet who rolled his optics and pulled the lever for the groundbridge. Looking up at Arcee, Jack gestured in the direction of the bridge and she nodded. Transforming into a motorcycle she revved her engine.

"Hop on" She told him while adjusting her mirrors to better look at him.

"Over here Raf you're riding with me." Miko waved at Raf from the driver's seat of Bulkheads vehicle form. Caught up in the excitement he almost sprinted for the passenger seat, but thought of something at the last second and turned around. Looking up at the medic he pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose.

"See ya later Ratchet." To his surprise the bot turned his head and nodded at him. The twelve year old smiled and ducked into the passenger's seat.

* * *

Gohan looked down at his watch while dodging a flock of irritable geese. He had been patrolling for almost two hours and there hadn't been even a sign of criminal activity.

"Of course now that I'm out of school they decide to take a break." He frowned.

Somehow the bad guys always chose the worst possible moment to commit crimes. He would always have to ask to leave for the bathroom in the middle of class. He sighed and stopped mid-flight to look up at the bright blue sky. The late afternoon sun glared off his visor and he closed his eyes for a moment to let himself rest. When he opened them again he took the time to enjoy the vast expanse of sky in front of him. The lighting was beautiful at this time of day as afternoon turned to evening until finally fading into dusk, and he absorbed the scenery as he thought aloud.

"At least dealing with criminals is better than fighting with aliens who could destroy the planet with a single glance." He dropped his gaze back down to the city and looked for a decent spot to descend. A secluded area behind an office building was the best he could find and he dropped altitude until his feet touched the ground. Pushing himself against the wall he peeked around the corner to see if anyone was approaching. Once satisfied that no one would spot him he pressed the red button on his watch and his normal clothes reappeared.

"I guess I'll drop by Videls house before I head home." Re-emerging on the sidewalk he headed in the direction of Mr. Satan's mansion.

* * *

"My house is just down the street Bulkhead." Miko pointed at a certain street and he took a left as they drove by several near identical houses.

"Oh I can't wait to show my parents my new Autobot friends." She all but squealed as she jumped around in her seat.

"Miko we already talked about this. Your parents can't know we exist, it's too dangerous." Annoyed she slouched in her seat and muttered something under her breath.

Meanwhile Raf was transfixed. The houses here were far more futuristic than anything in the states and he was absorbing everything he laid his eyes on with childlike wonder.

"Wow." He remarked in awe. Miko noticed and smiled proudly, promptly forgetting what she was upset about.

"Yeah my city didn't used to be this high tech but apparently some world hero or something lives here and they renamed the city after him." Raf nodded but didn't move his eyes from the window.

"Wait Bulkhead there's my house!" She pointed to a building a couple houses down on the left and they pulled to a stop at the side of the street. Curious as to what Miko's house would look like when compared to the rest of the neighborhood Raf tried to look past her.

"Wow I didn't know my neighborhood had changed so much." She practically had her face glued to the window and Raf had to wait until she pulled away to get a look. When he did the first thing he noticed was that her house was rather simplistic compared to everything else in the neighborhood.

The front of the house was composed of a rounded structure painted plain white like the surrounding houses, but the square building behind it suggested that the dome was a recent addition and not part of the original design. The lawn was even stranger with overgrown grass almost a foot tall and a flowerbed overflowing with pansies and cosmos in a rainbow of different colors. Even the mailbox was an odd shade of yellow that seemed to clash with everything else. Not to say that it looked horrible or anything just a bit out of place compared to everything else in the neighborhood. He smiled. It was just like Miko. A bit odd but normal enough that you could accept the few quirks that came with her.

 _Variety is the spice of life._ He thought.

"Bulkhead can I please show you to my parents?" She quickly lost interest in her childhood home and had taken up pleading again.

"Absolutely not. Technically you're not supposed to even be in Japan right now." He started to drive off and Miko took one long look at her house before hunching over and pouting. Raf's smile broadened.

 _Yep just like Miko._

"You want some music?" Bulkhead asked in hope that it would appease her.

"No."

"How about we catch up with Jack and Arcee?" Raf suggested. Miko gave him a curt nod and Bulkhead steered them towards the heart of town.

* * *

"Lord Megatron." Starscream approached and gave a mock bow to his master.

"What is it Starscream?" Megatron gave his first lieutenant an annoyed glare before turning his back to him.

"My liege we have pinpointed the location of several Autobots who are outside their base. Currently they are on the landmass of what the humans have deemed Japan" He examined his claw like hands with thinly veiled pride.

"Your point Starscream." His master's dismissal left the lieutenant bitter and he had to suppress the feeling unless it showed on his countenance.

"Why I believe now is the perfect time to interrogate one of them for the location of their hideaway. I can send some vehicons to capture the one known as Arcee with your permission my lord." He did a half bow that did little to keep his pride in check.

"One question first Starscream." Megatron turned to face the seeker with a visible sneer.

"Why have you not dispatched a squadron already instead of preening your ego?" The gladiators tone was scathing.

"B-because my lord I thought you might like to have the honor of crushing the other Autobot." He slowly edged away from his master.

"The only Autobot worthy of being obliterated by me is Optimus Prime!" The con leader continued to corner his first lieutenant into the door of the bridge.

"Yes, yes of course Lord Megatron it was impudent of me to impose otherwise." He fell to his knees in submission as the dark lord towered over him. Grabbing him by the wing Megatron lifted him up to eye level.

"But if you are so eager to snuff out another Autobot spark Starscream then the honor is all yours." He dropped the frightened seeker and returned to the prow of his bridge. Starscream pulled himself to his feet and bowed.

"Why thank you for this opportunity my Lord." Every word was dripping with venom.

* * *

The rumble of Arcees engine was soothing as she and Jack cruised down Main Street. There were fewer people than one might expect for a main thoroughfare and Jack thought that now would be the best time to ask what was on his mind.

"Hey Cee?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think maybe when we get back to Jasper we could go for a drive? It's been a while."

"What do you think we're doing now?" He shook his head.

"You know it's just not the same Arcee. Driving down a street at thirty miles an hour doesn't even compare when we're on the outskirts of Jasper flying across the dirt at over a hundred. Plus you can easily break one fifty and if the designers didn't want us to go that fast they shouldn't have given us the option." If she had been in robot form he would have seen a hint of a smile on her face.

"Sure Jack we can go for a drive." They rolled to a stop when the light turned red and a convertible pulled up beside them.

"Yo dude nice bike." The owner of the car rolled down his window and rested his arm on the side.

"Thanks." Jack could barely understand the guys heavily accented English but he had gotten enough to know it was a compliment.

"From the looks of you I'd say you're not from around here." Jack couldn't understand what the man was up to by starting a conversation but he might as well act nice and answer the question.

"No I'm visiting."

"Well hope you enjoy your visit." The man extended his hand in a friendly manner. Jack looked warily at him before deciding he didn't mean any harm and took his hand.

"I'm Yamcha, nice to meet you."

"Jack." They shook hands and Jack could feel the strength in the man's grip. They both returned their attention back to the road just in time as the light turned green. Yamcha gave him a wave before he made a right turn.

"See you around kid if you're still here." Jack couldn't really hear what was said so he just shrugged it off.

"He was interesting." Arcee commented.

"Yeah and I swear I've seen him from somewhere before." He hit the throttle and Arcee lurched forward.

"Really, Where?" Unbeknownst to the two of them several cons were slowly sneaking up from behind.

"I don't know I just feel like I should know him." They passed through several more intersections until the revving of engines caught the Autobot's attention.

"Scrap!" The blue bot took control and accelerated through a red light.

"What is it Arcee?!" She made a sharp turn and one of the vehicons crashed into a fire hydrant behind them.

"Cons." She adjusted her rearview mirror to get a better look. The two remaining lackeys were weaving through traffic and it wouldn't be long before they caught up. Kicking her engine up another gear she veered into an alley. Their best bet would be either to lose them or get them outside the city and fight them the old fashioned way. Coming out the other side Jack glanced in the mirror and was relieved to see that the alley wasn't wide enough for them to follow.

"Whew that was close." He spoke to soon as blue and red lights flashed and a siren sounded.

"Scrap." They both said simultaneously. A police car pulled up beside them and the window rolled down.

"Pull over!" Arcee kicked her engine into maximum overdrive and Jack was forced to tighten his grip as they pulled ahead of the cops.

"Uh Cee we shouldn't be running from the police."

"Normally yes, but this is a special exception." They ran several more lights and Jack checked the mirrors.

"Cee?"

"Yeah I know." The cop had a radio in his hand and was clearly calling in for backup.

"Well this is just great."

* * *

Walking down the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets Gohan was bored out of his mind. How he wished he could transform and fly to Videls mansion but that would kind of defeat the whole point of the conversation they had had earlier. He sighed. It was his first day back on the job and nothing interesting had happened. He had been hoping that something exciting would kickstart his big return but it didn't look like that was going to happen.

Just then Arcee and Jack whizzed past him with three cop cars in hot pursuit. Gohan smiled brightly.

"Yes!" He pumped his fist and quickly ducked into an alley. Pressing the button on his watch he could feel the adrenaline pumping in his blood.

"Alright time for Saiyaman's big entrance." He powered up and launched into the sky.

"Now where- Ah there they are." They had taken the on ramp for the highway and were fast approaching a sign that read-

Satan City Limits

"Time to show them what I'm made of." He cracked his knuckles.

In the blink of an eye he landed in front of them and Arcee slammed on the brakes as she came to a screeching halt only a foot away from the Saiyan. Behind them the police were forced to come to a sudden stop and crashed into each other to become a smoking pile of cars on the shoulder of the highway.

"Oops." Gohan rubbed the back of his helmet and surveyed the accident he had just caused. It was only when he noticed Jack was staring at him with a weird look that he coughed and put on his superhero voice.

"Ahem. It is I the guardian of this city and the protector of justice, the Great Saiyaman!" He went through his rehearsed routine until finally finishing with his iconic pose. Jack watched the entire thing in stunned silence until Arcee revved her engine to snap him out of his trance.

"Um could you move, I'm trying to get home." Gohan was annoyed for a brief moment but he did another pose and answered back.

"Why of course- As soon as you explain to me and these wonderful gentleman why you were going one fifty in a thirty." The police had pulled the rest of their officers from the melting pile of scrap cars and were looking angrily in his direction. Jack gulped.

"Uh that's kind of a long story." Arcee took the time while they were talking to check the expanse of road behind them. Her spark sputtered angrily when she saw purple vehicles fast approaching.

"Jack, wrap it up." She whispered above the engine noise.

"Anyway I really have to check in with my mom or she is going to kill me." Jack got off the bike and tried to push it around Gohan, but the Saiyan stepped into his path.

"I'm afraid I can't until you give me a reason."

"Jack." The bot whispered more urgently. The sound of burning rubber was steadily growing louder. Jack tried again to get past Gohan but was cut off.

"Jack!" She couldn't waste any more time and hit the gas. Luckily he was able to jump back on in time and they accelerated down the highway right before the two vehicons whirred past Saiyaman.

The superhero froze in shock. He blinked three times before turning around to watch them get smaller on the horizon.

"Wh-what just happened?"

He stood there for another minute unable to process what happened until one of the policemen tapped him on the shoulder.

"You gonna go after them or what?"

Gohan stared at the man for a second before he shook his helmeted head and blasted off into the sky.

"What is going on today?"

* * *

"Miko for the last time will you quit asking if you can show me to your parents. I've already given you my answer ten times over the last half hour." The Autobot turned down a side street through a residential neighborhood and the two occupants lurched forward in their seats from the motion. Yet somehow Miko still managed to look put out.

"Fine Bulkhead but you're taking me to do something awesome this weekend." The bot sighed but didn't say anything in protest. Raf exhaled in relief and opened his laptop.

"Seriously you brought your computer on a road trip?" She looked at the twelve year old incredulously.

"Never know when you might need to hack into something." He typed in the password on the keyboard with one hand and adjusted his red rimmed glasses with the other. She rolled her eyes and kicked her feet up on the dash left of the steering wheel.

"Nerd alert." He decided to ignore the comment and opened the browser.

"Do you even get wifi out here?" She asked only half interested.

"If you know how." She put her arms behind her head and stared at a spot in the sky. For a brief moment there was silence.

"Bulkhead." The femme bots voice was urgent as it came through the radio speakers.

"What is it Cee hit traffic?"

"Worse cons." The green Autobot slammed on the breaks in the middle of the street. Luckily there were no other cars on the road at that moment.

"Here? In Japan? Are you sure?"

"Bulkhead I don't have time for twenty questions right now!" Her audio cut out for a second as what sounded like an energy blast rang from the sound system.

"Good point. Where are you?" What sounded like metal scraping against metal was the only response.

"Arcee?"

"Follow the highway north out of town and be careful not to get spotted, some humans were trying to follow us." She discontinued the transmission and Bulkhead pulled onto the frontage road. Cutting across four lanes he just made it to the on ramp for the highway, barely missing a truck in the process.

"Yes some action!" Miko straitened in her seat excitedly and strummed her air guitar.

"Oh no I'm calling Ratchet for a bridge." She deflated instantly.

"Aw Bulkhead just let us tag along we'll stay out of the way." He didn't say anything.

"Please we still haven't seen all the sights yet." She was progressively getting whinier the longer he didn't answer.

"Bulkheaaaad." He was swiftly reaching the outskirts of town and running out of time to make a decision and Miko's pestering was not helping.

"I cannot believe I'm even considering this."

* * *

Gohan soared over the lush green of the countryside frantically searching for the boy and his motorcycle. Now that he had time to think on what had happened he had come to the conclusion that the kid was in deep trouble. The drivers that had sped past him without a second glance were clearly gunning for the teenager and whatever they had in mind couldn't be good. So he needed to find that foreign kid right now!

"C'mon where did he go?!" The rolling hillsides were a lovely view but provided too many hideaways for him to check every one and that was assuming that the kid still wasn't burning rubber on the highway. Worst case scenario he could spend all day searching and still not find him.

"Dammit!" He clenched his fists and grimaced.

"Well only one thing to do." He stopped and closed his eyes.

"I just hope I can pinpoint such a small life force." Concentrating he let his Ki ripple out in all directions and comb the area. He would find the smallest power levels and go from there. He only wished he could remember the kid's energy signature but their interaction had been brief. Definitely not enough time to truly get a feel for his unique life force. Plus like all humans, his power level was miniscule compared to any threat Gohan had faced over the years and he had become accustomed to honing in on the largest power level available.

He gritted his teeth.

"Please let me find him before anything happens." He released more energy and doubled his efforts. It wasn't till a short burst of energy appeared and fizzled that he thought he had a chance. One energy signature fifteen miles northwest. He recalled his Ki to him and forced the reacquired energy into his feet to take off at near hypersonic speed. His blood ran cold in his veins when he thought of what he had sensed, and what he was still sensing.

"There's no way it could… If I didn't know any better I could swear that those were Ki blasts." But he only felt one power level in that direction which still left the two drivers unaccounted for. So who was releasing Ki blasts? It couldn't be the kid right? And no human other than Krillen, Yamcha, Tien, and Master Roshi knew how to actually create energy blasts. No. He had to stop theorizing, someone was in danger.

"I don't have time to think about this!" He infused even more of his ki and blasted through the sound barrier.

"Just hold on kid!"

* * *

"Jack get down!" Arcee shielded the teenager from pieces of exploding rock while he protected his face with his hands.

"Are you alright?" She pulled away some to look him over and he nodded. Retracting her arms she morphed one of her hands into a gun and returned fire. Lifting Jack in her usable hand she ducked behind a rock.

"Stay here and out of sight." Her other arm became a gun and she rolled out from behind the rock and charged.

"Yeah because _this_ rock can protect me much better than the other one." He peeked out around the boulder. Arcee was fighting both vehicons simultaneously and one of her arms had become a blade so she could fire at one and slash at the other. He knew she could handle herself in a fight but he couldn't help but worry when two more vehicles rolled up and transformed.

"This isn't good." He looked around for anything he could use to help. The best he could find was a few pebbles from the previously shattered rock. He rolled them around in his hand and thought. If he played his cards right he could throw one and duck back before they spotted him.

"If I don't do something Arcee might be scrap." Stepping halfway out of his hideaway he chucked one as hard as he could at one of the new arrivals. The bot turned, but he was already out of sight and Arcee struck the con down in the back of the neck. Jack took another glance around and was glad to see that his plan had worked.

"Okay one down three to go." He crouched his way to the other side of the boulder and readied another pebble.

"Here goes." He pitched it straight at the cons visor and a crack formed in the glass. This time however, he wasn't so lucky to escape undetected and the drone stepped towards him.

"Scrap." He ran to the other side of the rock to hide but the con was still heading in his direction. He pressed himself as close to the rock as he could and prayed. The bot rounded the corner and-

* * *

"Arcee are you there?" Bulkhead tried for the third time to reach the other Autobot.

"C'mon pickup." The connection failed again and he angrily contacted base.

"Ratch I need a bridge to Arcee's location."

"What? Why? What's happening?"

"Just do it Ratchet! Some cons got the jump on Arcee." The medic considered this for a moment but his reply was not what the wrecker wanted to hear right then.

"What about the children?"

"No time Ratchet." The medic didn't argue further.

"I'll prepare sick bay." Bulkhead cut the transmission and the portal came to life. When he came out the other side he transformed. He held one of the children in each hand and set them on the hillside. Raf looked about ready to hurl.

"Stay here."

"What but you said-"

"Miko I promise I'll take you to the monster truck rally this weekend but you have to stay put." Not waiting to hear an answer he turned around and drove off. She would have complained but Raf caught her by surprise when he latched onto her shoulder to avoid teetering over.

"H-how do you do that on a r-regular basis?" Raf was turning an odd shade of green and Miko shrugged.

"You get used to it after a while."

* * *

"Take this!" Out of nowhere the strange man from the highway had punched the con right through the visor. His arm embedded itself up to the elbow and he felt a tear across his glove when it caught on something sharp.

The lifeless corpse of the vehicon wobbled unstably for a moment until it fell hard on its back with a _clang_. Gohan pulled his fist from the bots splintered helm and formed two Ki blasts, one in each hand. The commotion he caused had everyone looking in his direction and he fired at the two remaining vehicons. Both hit their targets in the chest, right where their sparks would be. They clattered to the ground unceremoniously with one falling on top of the other. With those two dealt with Gohan set his sights on the Autobot and took a fighting stance.

"One chance, leave and be spared." Arcee transformed her arms back to normal and raised her hands in submission.

"Easy I'm on your side." The Saiyan didn't ease his stance but he didn't attack either.

"Are you one of Doctor Gero's creations?" She looked confused by his question and he realized she couldn't be part of the red ribbon army. After all Gero only created androids or humanlike robots, but these things were completely different from anything he had ever seen. She had also been fighting the other two robots so maybe she was telling the truth. He breathed deeply and relaxed his posture as she lowered her arms.

"What are you?" Both he and the Autobot asked at the same time. Gohan blinked and rubbed his chin.

"Well that's kind of a long story." Jack walked out from behind the rock and came to stand by Arcee.

"So is ours." Gohan looked from the teenager to the bot in confusion.

"Here how about this, you tell us how you can do….this" Jack gestured at the dead Decepticons. "And we'll show you why they're here." He pointed to Arcee.

"Wait _they_ as in plural." Jack clapped a hand over his mouth and Arcee rolled her optics. "Just come with us and we'll show you." She transformed into a motorcycle and Gohan couldn't help but stare. She adjusted her mirror to look at his jaw dropped face.

"You coming or what?" He didn't have a chance to answer before a car jumped from the hill at top speed and changed in midair to land with a _thud_.

"Alright where's the cons?" The wrecker looked around in anticipation his blaster already hot. The femme transformed back and placed a hand on her hip looking slightly amused. "Afraid you arrived too late to the party Bulkhead." The big bot looked disappointed and retracted his weapons.

"Ahem." Gohan fake coughed and the wrecker glanced at him.

"Who's the caped freak?" The bot gestured at him with his thumb.

"Hey I'll have you know that this outfit is very fashionable!" Gohan stomped his foot in indignation and the wrecker gave him a look that he was definitely not convinced.

"But seriously who is this guy?" Arcee sighed and gave him a simple answer. "It's a long story."

* * *

So how was it? I promise the other chapters won't change scenes quite as much. it's just that with everything I wanted to add it had to jump around quite a bit, but no with the group together there won't be quite as much scene hopping. Oh and for those of you wondering where Starscream is you'll just have to wait and see ;) Reviews are always welcome and favorites even more so. Anyway have a wonderful day.

-MidnightMarchioness


	2. Chapter 2 Trouble Magnet

Chapter 2 Trouble Magnet

"Sorry about the long drive kid. We wanted to make sure we weren't followed so we took the long way home."

Opening the passenger door Gohan took in the stale air of the Autobot's headquarters and stepped out. Never had he been so thankful for solid ground. _Especially_ taking into consideration how only a minute ago Miko had pulled the ultimate prank and nearly given him a heart attack in the process. How was he supposed to know there was a secret entrance in the Cliffside?

The nauseating journey through the groundbridge had been more than enough already. And then to nearly be scared out of his wits out of nowhere like that, he could still feel the loud thumping of his heart in his ears. Miko of course had found the whole situation quite hilarious and Raf could only offer an apologetic smile at his predicament. Honestly the Autobots were just lucky he didn't blow up the entire base for all the stress that had caused him.

Taking deep breaths he took in the new surroundings carefully. Concrete walls formed a large bunker of sorts and his immediate thought was that he was in a repurposed aircraft hangar. Its high vaulted ceilings and metal construct gave him that impression at least. Absorbed in his thoughts he failed to notice the red and white med bot glaring until he started to berate his two colleagues.

"You brought another human!" The doctor yelled in outrage as Arcee and Bulkhead converted back to their bipedal forms. Instantly the wrecker took a step back from the fuming doctor.

"Not like we had a choice Ratchet. He saw me fight off some cons and you know how Optimus is." Arcee placed her hands on her hips and stood her ground.

For a good minute Ratchet looked about ready to blow a fuse as he scowled at the two wheeler. Throwing his hands up in exasperation it was all he could do not to go into a lengthy tirade.

Shaking his helm harshly he decided it wasn't worth the energon as the damage had already been done. "Fine, but I am not responsible for him!"

"I don't think that will be a problem Ratchet. You should have seen the way this kid-

"Gohan! My name is Gohan." The Saiyan interrupted loudly. Both bots shot him a suspicious glance, Ratchet even narrowed his optics and Gohan swallowed nervously. "A-Anyway what are you robots? I've never seen anything like you before."

"We are autonomous beings from the planet Cybertron known as Autobots." The tall sleek form of a red and blue mech approached from the shadows, his heavy footsteps echoing down the corridors.

Tilting his head all the way back Gohan caught a glimpse of the bots faceplate and was instantly intrigued. There was something different about this particular robot. An air of leadership and respect surrounded him, and as Optimus knelt down they both studied each other in curiosity.

Onyx eyes took in blue optics and Gohan was sure that he had never seen such a pure shade of cyan blue, it was breathtaking. Yet what lay underneath the surface of those orbs compelled him too look even further than he might have otherwise. A gentle kindness and a seemingly unending amount of patience were reflected in those eyes. He smiled but it vanished almost as quickly.

There was something else there too, something that wasn't easily identifiable and was hard to notice if you weren't specifically looking for it. Exhaustion. Years and years of it were cleverly hidden underneath the layers of concern and understanding. He had seen this look plenty of times on his mother before but it was an odd feeling seeing it in a sentient robot.

 _It's like he's looking out for everyone else but himself._

"-han" The half saiyan blinked as Jack waved a hand in front of his face. "You still there?" Pushing the hand away Saiyaman shook his head to clear it. "Where were we?"

"You were asking about the Autobots." Raf reminded. Gohan nodded and recollected his thoughts.

"So if you're originally from this Cybertron then why are you here now?" Optimus searched Gohan's half concealed face for a few moments measuring his words carefully.

"We are here because our planet is no longer hospitable and also to defend your planet from the Decepticons."

"De-cep-ti-cons?" He pronounced each syllable slowly as he categorized the new term in his head. It also didn't help that the word was an amalgamation of two English words. True he had a very good grasp of the language as his mother had insisted that if he wanted to be a scholar of any sort he should learn English, but no matter what that there was no way in otherworld he could learn all the vocabulary required to master it completely. Thank goodness for context clues.

"They were those other robots who attacked Arcee and me." Jack added for clarity. Gohan rubbed the back of his neck as he filed the information away. "So I guess the better question is why are _they_ here?"

"A fair question young one. They are here to harvest your planets vast amount of energon." With all these new terms Gohan felt like he needed a Cybertronian to English dictionary, and then an English to Japanese dictionary just for good measure. Raf decided to save him the trouble. "Energon is their blood but they also use it for fuel and ammo." The Saiyan nodded in understanding. At least that was one concept he could understand because Ki energy was similar.

"Okay I think I understand the gist of what you're saying, but one thing that bothers me is how I haven't heard of giant alien robots before." Optimus opened his mouth to answer just as the proximity alarm went off. Its blaring met with an equally loud yell of-

"Prime!" The elevator from the helipad opened and a fuming agent Fowler strode straight for railing nearest the Autobot.

"It is one thing to raise hell on our side of the globe Prime but compromising yourselves in a foreign country! Now I have an international incident on my hands and I want an explanation." Furrowing his brows Optimus stood.

"Special agent Fowler I understand your cause for concern, but I can say with absolute certainty that we Autobots would not blow cover unless it is absolutely necessary." Dragging a hand through his hair the special agent sighed. He had already known what the answer would be, but that still didn't change the fact that the Autobots standing with the government was becoming increasingly harder to maintain.

"I understand that Prime but one of these days I won't be able to cover for you." Optimus pressed his mouth into a thin line and nodded. "Understood agent Fowler."

"I hate to interrupt but there was something I needed to talk to you about." Arcee put in from the sidelines.

"Yeah me too." Gohan was determined to explain his side of the story before the femme had a chance to spill his secret.

At the sound of a new voice Fowler looked over the railing and caught a glimpse of Saiyaman.

"You compromised another civilian!" The agent pounded a fist on the railing, the past sentiments from a moment ago entirely forgotten. Thinking it would be best to intervene before things got out of hand Gohan intentionally drew the attention away from Optimus. "With all due respect sir I am anything _but_ a civilian."

Marching down the stairs Fowler came face to visor with him. "Oh really son, well then please enlighten me as to what makes you so special. Especially considering you're dressed up like a clown about to perform at a rodeo." That stung the Saiyans pride a little bit but he stood his ground. "I will-" Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Jack, Raf, and Miko peek out from behind Ratchets leg as the doctor barely managed to restrain himself from shooing them away. "But not here. It's personal and I think it would be best for both of us to do this in private." He turned to look at Optimus who was watching their conversation with troubled optics. "I would like to speak to you as well if it's not any trouble."

"Very well." Transforming into a semi both doors popped open to invite them inside. Fowler crossed his arms and huffed but eventually mumbled something and walked over to the driver's side. "Alright Prime we'll do this your way." Fowler pulled himself up into the cabin while Gohan took the passenger side and buckled himself in.

"Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, I believe it is time to take the children home."

"Oh no no we want to know to!" Miko immediately ran up to Optimus and placed her hands on his hood.

"Miko." Bulkhead stepped forward and scooped her up into the palm of his hand. "It's already past your curfew and it's a school day tomorrow."

"But Bulk don't you want to hear what they're gonna say." She put on her puppy dog face. "Miko." He said sternly. "Ugh fine." She plopped down in his hand.

"Ratchet." The soft timber of the Prime's voice echoed off the walls as the ambulance pressed a button on the control panel.

* * *

The soothing rumble of the engine helped steady Gohan's nerves as Optimus pulled onto the dirt road. "Where do I begin." He straightened a crease in his cape and mulled over how much should he actually give away. "How about your name for starters." Fowler suggested.

"My name is Gohan, I'm originally from Japan." Fowler cocked an eyebrow. "From Japan? You could've fooled me, but now that you mention it you do say a few words with a strange lisp of sorts. Gohan remained silent unsure of what to say to that.

Sighing he decided to just rip the band aid off so to speak. "I'm not completely human." Agent Fowlers eyebrows flew towards the ceiling as he second guessed if he had heard correctly. "Hold up, what do you mean you're not completely human?"

Gently removing his helmet he set it on his lap as he continued. "You see my father was sent here as a baby to kill all life on earth but he hit his head when he was little and forgot all about it." The special agent waved both hands wildly to stop him.

"Wait so let me get this straight. You're telling me that your father is an alien from another planet?" Just the thought of _another_ alien race on planet earth was enough to get the agent's head spinning. They already had one set of power hungry aliens vying for control and the last thing he needed was more extraterrestrials battling for world domination.

"As unbelievable as it may sound it's the truth. We found out years later when his brother showed up and told us the whole story." Under his breath he mumbled "and kidnapped me." Gohan could already see the next question forming in the operatives mind but luckily Optimus interrupted. "What planet is your father from Gohan?"

"Planet Vegeta." The air from the vents suddenly became extremely cold and Gohan wondered if it was wise to have relinquished that piece of information.

"Do you….do you know of the Saiyans?" There was hesitation in his voice that he had not intended to place there.

"There are records from the golden age that speak of the Saiyans as some of the most powerful beings in the universe, surpassing even Unicron himself, but many regarded them as just myth." Hearing the words 'most powerful in the universe' Fowler couldn't keep quiet.

"Hold it Prime, are you serious that there's an even bigger threat out there than that two ton monstrosity buried in earth's core?"

"I do not know for certain agent Fowler, but there is one thing I am certain of. If my predecessors left those records there must be some truth contained in them." The exhaustion was clear in his voice box and even Fowler knew to leave it be.

Laying a firm hand on Gohan's shoulder the half Saiyan flinched slightly.

"So tell me this son, if your father had it in his head to let's say take down a bot he could." The edge of Gohan's mouth twitched and he looked out the window. "Yes." The conversation was not supposed to head in this direction.

"Then why in the name of Uncle Sam has he not come forward about it, we could've put down Megatron ages ago." Involuntarily Gohan squeezed the helmet tighter. "My father died seven years ago."

All went deadly quiet as Fowler released his shoulder. He coughed and readjusted his seatbelt awkwardly aware of the tension that now hung in the air like a cloud.

"Prime I think it's time to head back to HQ."

"I agree agent Fowler."

Tracing the constellations in the stars Gohan exhaled through his nose. Placing the helmet back on, he braced himself.

"If it's alright with you Optimus I want to keep this a secret from the others." It was quiet as Optimus processed his proposition.

"Your decisions are yours alone Gohan, but in my humble opinion none of them would hold your heritage against you."

"I'll keep it in mind." It was silent for a few miles until Fowler stirred in his seat and awkwardly leaned against the driver side door, a clear sign that he had something on his mind.

"I have one more question son if it's not too tough for you." Closing his eyes under the visor Gohan took a deep breath.

"What is it?"

"Would you consider teaming up with the Autobots to fight Megatron?" Biting his bottom lip Gohan cursed himself for not anticipating the question.

"In all honesty it's not my place." Confusion seemed to cloud the operative's eyes as he analyzed the teen.

"How so?"

"I left that life a long time ago….and besides this wasn't my war to begin with." No matter what he was not going to recall that day seven years ago and even more so he was not going to subject himself to possibly going through it again. It had already burdened him for far too long and he refused to let it weigh him down.

"You know Gohan for a teenager you talk as if you've been a soldier." Gohan smiled bitterly.

"You have no idea."

"You mind telling."

A thick silence settled over them as Gohan considered his words.

"A long time ago I made a mistake and lost someone close to me. I refuse to do that ever again." He closed his eyes as the memory he was desperately trying to suppress flashed in front of his eyes. Biting his knuckle he waited until the scene finished and the pain ended. Both Optimus and Fowler noticed but the agent pretended he hadn't seen.

"Admitting your mistakes is the first step to becoming stronger Gohan. However, you should not let the past limit your future."

"You don't know what I've been through." The words tumbled off his tongue and he regretted them instantly. A clenching in his chest told him that he would live to regret those words.

"In my many years I have lost many friends to the struggles of war so believe me Gohan when I say that I understand more than you know." The twinge of sadness to the otherwise monotone delivery tripled the guilt Gohan was already feeling.

 _Calm down_.

He swallowed twice before he could get his throat to voice an apology. "I am truly sorry Optimus."

"All is forgiven Gohan." Such simple words but they were enough to lift some of the burden on his heart, and as he Leaned heavily against the leather seating he let his body and mind rest.

* * *

"What do you think is taking them?" Arcee asked offhandedly. It had been a good thirty minutes since she had returned from escorting Jack home and Optimus hadn't radioed in since they had left.

"Maybe they just lost track of time." Bumblebee put in with a serious of beeps. Lifting the ball over his head he chucked it back to Bulkhead.

"Nice one Bee. I wouldn't worry Arcee. It's not like Optimus to leave something unfinished and Fowler can be a pain in the aft when he wants to be." He pitched the ball back to the scout who caught it with some difficulty. Setting the ball down the scout made a high whooping sound of hurt.

"Oops, sorry Bee, guess I should've gone easy on you." The sports car flexed his servos individually to make sure they were undamaged. "No kidding." He beeped.

Arcee watched in concealed amusement when the sharp whine of metal caught her attention and she straitened.

 _Optimus?_

A loud revving filled the air and she rolled her eyes. _Smokescreen._

"Hey team what's been up while I was gone?" He slammed on the brakes right on top of the Autobot symbol leaving dark black skid marks in the concrete.

"And where exactly have you been?" Ratchet rounded on him irritably. Not only did Smokescreen have the audacity to disturb his work but now he had made another mess that needed to be cleaned up.

"Whoa calm your pistons Ratchet. I was just taking some time to explore the ins and outs of Jasper. After all you guys were the ones that said I should get to know the humans better." Metal slid into place as he transformed to stand on his pedes and cross his arms defensively.

"And what if there had been an emergency!" The nonchalance of the rookie was swiftly grating on the old bots nerves and if the rookie didn't speak carefully Smokescreen was likely to get a solid wrench to the helm.

This wasn't even the first time he had caused trouble this week and after the _incident_ with the phase shifter he was beginning to suspect Smokescreen was causing trouble on purpose. Miko was one thing but a bot was an entirely different matter. If he _was_ doing it intentionally he needed to be stopped sooner rather than later.

"I figured if you guys needed me you would call. I mean if it was really that urgent you could just bridge me back to base." The surprisingly logical answer from the sports car helped to placate the medic's anger to some degree though he was still far from calm.

"Even so it would be a misuse of our resources to assume we could just bridge you back anytime you go gallivanting off on your own. Energon is hard to come by as is and we need every last bit to win the war against the Decepticons." Smokescreen was tempted to make a remark but remembered the last time he had crossed Ratchet and held himself back.

Of course he knew that. He wasn't so naïve as to believe that just because they were fighting for the right reasons they would magically win the war.

 _I may be the youngest bot here but I'm no idiot. I trained under Alpha Trion remember._

Ratchets reprimand had attracted all optics in the room in their direction and as Smokescreen picked up the ball beside Bee he only saw looks of disapproval. Arcee crossed her arms and shook her head in disappointment and Bulkhead intentionally had his back turned to him. Even Bumblebee who wasn't much more experienced seemed to be looking down on him.

 _None of you understand._

Lowering his head he turned around unable to stand their gazes any longer. At the same time the familiar rumblings of a semi became louder as Optimus pulled into the main hanger. Both doors of the truck opened simultaneously and the two humans stepped down onto the floor one more gracefully than the other.

Smokescreen didn't even notice as he kept his eyes firmly fixed on the ball in his hands. He could hear the familiar shifting of metal and knew Prime was standing over him looking troubled. Purposely he moved past him to set the ball down.

"Smokescreen." He could feel the eyes on his back as Optimus analyzed every movement. Clearing his voice box softly Smokescreen prepped his nerves and faced Optimus.

"Permission to head out for a while sir." A gentle hand was placed on his shoulder in a gesture of comfort. "Permission granted Smokescreen." Unable to bear the atmosphere any longer the rookie took off at a run. When tires met the ground he hit the gas and was outside within seconds. The smell of burning rubber lingered in the air.

"Ratchet?" If there was anyone Optimus trusted to give him an unbiased answer it was his chief medical officer.

The spotlight now on him, the doctor shook his head and turned back to his work station after having watched their interaction carefully. "He needs to learn that war isn't fun and games Optimus. He acts too much like a Sparkling and is insistent on proving his worth." There was more he wanted to add but it was better left for another time.

"While I believe you had Smokescreen's best intentions in mind old friend I do not believe you went about it correctly." The medic sighed and typed out another set of equations as the Prime studied him diligently.

Lately Ratchet had renewed his efforts to perfect the formula for synthetic energon even going so far as to work for days without recharge. He had yet to make a breakthrough, however, and the over taxation of his mind was quickly degrading his temperament.

"Ratchet." The ambulance mumbled a few integers under his breath unaware that anyone had spoken. Coming forward Optimus reached over and pressed a button on the console. The monitor powered down within a few seconds leaving a blank screen. Ratchet looked up dumbfounded.

"You require rest Ratchet." The doctor's jaw dropped. No words could express how utterly astounded he was. In all the Eons he had known Optimus never had he been so, well to put it bluntly, rude. "Optimus you cannot be serious."

"It is in all of our best interests if you power down for a while old friend." Ratchet could not believe what he was hearing. "Stop _now_ , when I am so close to discovering the formula for synthetic energon! With all due respect Optimus now is the time when I should be working my hardest to finish the formula."

The prime slouched a little. He knew convincing the medic would require some doing, but Ratchet was stubborn and when kind words and gentle hints weren't enough there was only one way to get through to him.

"It was not a request Ratchet." The physician's optics widened for an instant before he regained control of himself and huffed in indignation. Dismayed but not willing to disobey a direct order the doctor gathered up his tools and stowed them away in the med bay. He paused once he finished and looked up. "If you think it's for the best Optimus."

"I do old friend." The doctor rested against his station for a second before pulling himself upright. "Very well Optimus." Walking past he disappeared around the corner.

* * *

The Saiyan studied the varying expressions of grimness on each of the Autobots faceplates. Honestly it felt like the minute he showed up everything had started to go wrong. Fowler, then the sports car and now even the ambulance, it was like he was some sort of bad luck charm.

Removing his helmet he stared at his reflection in the visor. After his father's ability to attract danger nothing could surprise him anymore, but that didn't mean he still didn't feel a nagging sense of responsibility.

Rubbing his thumb across the bottom of the dark colored glass he inspected the surface. Not a cut or scratch to be seen. Blinking several times his eyebrows furrowed together.

 _Maybe this is why dad decided to stay in Otherworld._

"Gohan." The soft voice of the Prime broke through his thoughts. "Yes Optimus." Nestling the helmet beneath the crook of his arm he gave the bot his full attention. "Now that you are aware of our secret I do not think it wise to let you travel unsupervised, therefore Arcee you will escort him home."

Glancing at Optimus he understood that this was the Primes way of giving him an opportunity to explain himself. Gohan proffered a thankful smile which the Prime returned. Directing his gaze towards his escort he met eye to optic with the femme and between them there was a mutual understanding; whatever had happened in Japan was _going_ to be addressed.

"Alright kid-" She folded herself into a chic blue motorcycle. "Let's go for a drive." Placing his Saiyaman helmet back on Gohan settled on her backside and grabbed the handlebars firmly.

Nausea consumed him for the few seconds of travel through the vortex and he felt like if he wasn't gripping the handlebars he would have teetered over. Thankfully it had only lasted a few seconds and he was all too grateful when fresh air rushed against his face.

As his head began to clear and the surroundings came into focus he finally comprehended how completely exhausted he was. A faint glow edged at the horizon in the distance and he wondered how long it had been since he slept? It was all he could do to keep his eyes open.

"You better not fall asleep on me. You still owe me an explanation." Jerking himself upright he shook his head to combat the drowsiness. "Right." He said. "What do you want to know?"

"How about how you disassembled those cons without even trying."

Gohan pursed his lips. "Well first I need to know if you are familiar with the concept of Ki energy."

"No." She replied bluntly and he sighed. He had expected as much. Under normal circumstances he would be all for teaching but his head was sort of fighting him at the moment. He rested his helmet on her console for a few seconds of reprieve and put his thoughts in order.

"Ki energy or Chi as it's called sometimes is our life force. Very few have ever learned how to harness it. Those who have are able to exceed their own limits to become something greater than they would without it. This was how I was able to create those energy blasts you saw and also how I was able to punch through that Decepticons face without shattering my arm."

"So what you were just planning on hiding it from the others. Don't think I didn't notice how you interrupted me when I was talking to Ratchet." He frowned. Of course she had picked up on that. "I was hoping that you would help keep my secret." He could swear he heard a snort. "And give me one good reason why I shouldn't drag you back and force you to come clean in front of everyone."

"Because these powers aren't my fault."

"Cut the Scrap kid you just said-

I know what I said and it's true, but I'm a special case."

Adjusting her mirrors in agitation Arcee revved her engine to burn off some of her anger. He wasn't really to blame anyway.

He couldn't have known she was an alien in disguise he was just trying to help Jack, and if she was being honest things weren't looking good before he arrived. Back at base Jack had related how he was nearly blown away by some low level drone before Gohan intervened. By all rights she should be thanking him, but at the moment she felt like she had been lied to by Primus himself.

Everything she had learned about humans was just turned on its head in one day by a kid barely older than Jack. For years they had been living on Earth and only now were they discovering humans who could stand with them on equal footing. Jack had never shown any signs of being special and Raf and Miko were just normal children. Then out of nowhere they find these other humans who have a great potential to cause harm not only to other humans but Cybertronians as well. Let's just say she was unnerved at best.

"Explain Gohan." He flinched a little bit. It was the first time she had used his name and her tone was venomous.

"I've been trained to harness my Ki since I could walk. My father, his friends, all of them were specially trained so it was only natural that I be taught the same art. Before I could even think for myself I was throwing Ki blasts and punching through stone. Also as it turns out I have a large reserve of hidden power within me so chances were even without proper training I would have discovered it eventually." He intentionally left out the part about how being half Saiyan probably had something to do with it.

"Figures." She grumbled.

"It wasn't by choice trust me." Under the engine noise she mumbled. "What's with the gaudy outfit then?"

"Excuse me?"

"I said why the outfit then." He flashed a smile.

"I'm the ultimate crime fighter Saiyaman!" He gripped the sides with his knees so he could perform a pose.

"Wish I hadn't asked." She muttered. Lightly applying the brakes they slowly crawled to a stop.

"This is as far as I'm taking you, the rest you can do yourself." He sighed and lifted his weary body to his feet as his leg muscles became taut in protest. Steadying himself with the handlebars he didn't let go until he was sure he wouldn't fall over.

"Hey um…." He blanked on her name and the question hung awkwardly.

"What?" She snapped irritably. He wasn't the only one who was tired. Ratchet had given her the full front of his displeasure earlier and her sensors were still ringing from his verbal assault. Combine that with the physical exhaustion of taking down half a dozen cons singlehandedly and you had the recipe for one irritable Autobot.

"Could you please not tell the others? I just don't want them to think of me as different." She huffed.

"Fine." She wasn't happy about it, but if Optimus hadn't told them then he trusted Gohan enough to know he wouldn't do anything stupid.

"Catch you later, Gohan." He exhaled happily when his name wasn't injected with poison. It was a full minute after she disappeared from sight that he realized-

"What do you mean later?!"

* * *

"This appears to be where the confrontation took place commander Starscream." Shoving the drone aside the commander looked down distastefully at the shambles of two of his former soldiers.

"You there call for a groundbridge and take the corpses back to the ship, I'm sure Knockout would love to have some new test subjects since his old ones seem to be in a bit of disrepair." A visible shiver shook the drone he had delegated for the task but he saluted anyway. "Yes commander Starscream." The first lieutenants face curved into a smirk. How he loved to be addressed as commanding officer.

If only he could get Lord Megatron out of the picture so that he could finally claim the position as leader of the Decepticons. For now though he would have to be content in simply planning for that glorious day. Rounding a large boulder he nearly stumbled over another one of his lifeless minions. Fresh energon had steadily seeped from the wound and collected in a turquoise pool under the corpse. He shook his helm in disappointment.

"Such a waste of perfectly good energon." He was about to call over another drone to carry it away when he noticed something peculiar.

"Hmmm." Taking a closer look he became even more suspicious. There was a hole that went straight through the back of the helm. That was unusual in and of itself as a regular energon blast would have taken the head clean off not drilled straight through it. What's more the hole was only about six inches at its widest and there appeared to be no trace of burn marks.

"Interesting." Turning the vehicon over he observed how the metal had crumpled in on itself instead of melting around the edges. Reaching his hand to his comlink he contacted the good doctor of the Nemesis.

"What is it Starscream, I am currently in the middle of buffing out some particularly nasty scratches."

"I have something that requires your medical expertise Knockout. I believe the Autobots may have acquired a new weapon." He felt around the hole with his claws and they came back covered in energon. "It appears to be non Cybertronian in nature."

"Oooh I just love a good mystery. Have it brought to my lab and I'll look it over." Clicking off the line the seeker grinned evilly. If he was right about this hunch he might have what he needed to bring down lord Megatron or at the very least something to use against the Autobots.

* * *

My deepest apologies for how long it took me to finish this chapter. Recently a lot of personal stuff has been piling up and everything that could go wrong has. Add how I got sick, my laptop broke, and not to mention the homework I had to catch up on and I had no motivation or way to write for like a month. On top of that I could not get this chapter how I liked it (this was the seventh rewrite) and I just kinda psyched myself out. I thin part of the reason is that I had to lay a lot of groundwork and I kept thinking different ways I could go about it. So anyway if this chapter isn't the best I have no one to blame but myself because honestly I have no idea at this point. Lastly thank you for all the favorites and reviews!

-MidnightMarchioness


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